Submarine signal device



June 20, 1961 Filed March 19, 1959 5; J. TRALONGO 2,989,024

INVENTOR. SEBASTIAN J. TRALONGO June 1961 s; u. TRALONGO SUBMARINE SIGNAL DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 19, 1959 INVENTOR. SEBASTIAN J TRALONGO his Arrog/vfirs United States Patent 2,989,024 SUBMARINE SIGNAL DEVICE Sebastian J. Tralongo, Ro'ckville, Md., assignor to Vltl'o Corporation of America, New York, N.Y. filed Mar. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 800,452 9 Claims. (Cl. 116-124) This invention relates to devices for signalling from a submerged submarine to the surface of the water and, more particularly, to a new and improved device especially adapted for signalling from deeply submerged submarines.

In training exercises at sea, for example, it is often necessary to transmit a signal from a submerged submarine to the surface of the water. Frequently, the signal constitutes a dye material which colors the water at the surface and the color of the dye may be selected to indicate certain information. Moreover, such signals are even more important for indicating the location and internal conditions in a disabled submerged submarine.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a new and improved device for signalling from submerged submarines to the surface of the water.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device arranged to permit a deeply submerged submarine to transmit information to ships at the surface of the sea.

These and other objects of the invention are attained by enclosing signal material in a pressurized container resistant to water pressures below a predetermined depth and adapted to break open above the predetermined depth. In one embodiment, the container comprises a rigid shell formed in sections and charged with gas to a pressure equivalent to the water pressure at the predeterextending from one side to the other across the interior;

the rip cord being arranged to tear the bag open when it expands beyond a predetermined volume. A rigid h0using encloses this bag while it is charged with gas within the submarine and falls apart to release the bag after it has been ejected from the submarine.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in cross section taken through the center of a spherical signal device arranged according to the invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates in longitudinal cross section taken along its axis another form of signal device arranged according to the invention;

FIG. 3 shows in section the disposition of the device of FIG. 2 after it has been released into the water;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view on a reduced scale of the embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 2.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the signal device comprises a rigid enclosure 10, which is spherical in shape, and is sufliciently strong to withstand water pressures at the desired submerged depths. The sphere consists of two closely fitting hollow hemisphere portions 11 and 12 and encloses a charge of signal material 13 which is inserted before the two portions are fitted together. Preferably, a :dye of a color representing information to be transmitted to the surface is used as the signal material but, if desired, other materials, such as smoke generating chemicals, or the like, may be utilized.

A filling vent, such as a conventional valve 14 having a sealing cap 15, is mounted in the wall of the enclosure so that gas under pressure may be applied through the valve to raise the internal pressure of the sphere to a selected value. After the enclosure has been pressurized in this manner, the cap 15 prevents the admission of further fluid even though the external pressure exceeds the internal pressure.

When the enclosure 10 has been pressurized within the interior of a submarine, the increased internal pressure, which is usually greater than the ambient submerged pressure, tends to urge the portions 11 and 12 apart. In order to hold the enclose together until it is ejected from the submarine into the surrounding water, the sphere 10 is provided with releasable holding means. This means may constitute, for example, a band 16 passing around the sphere and having a clamp 17, which is releasably retained as by a holding pin 18, a cable 19 being attached to the pin to facilitate its removal.

In addition, to make certain that the device does not open partially when the internal pressure exceeds the external pressure by a slight amount and then close again after releasing some of the gas charge, a device effective to hold the sphere together until the pressure differential exceeds a predetermined value may be included in the enclosure. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a tension cord 20 is stretched between the two portions 11 and 12 and includes a conventional tension clip 21 which breaks when the tension exceeds a selected value. The clip 21 may, for example, comprise an S-shaped member made of a brittle plastic or similar material so that it Will bend and break when a predetermined tension is applied to its ends. After the two portions 11 and 12 of the enclosure are joined, the cord 20 is stretched across the interior through apertures 22 in the two portions and secured in position by bolts 23, for example, the apertures being rendered fluid-tight by anys-uitable means such as a sealing ring (not shown).

In operation, from a deeply submerged submarine, a charge of appropriate dye powder 13 is placed in one portion of the enclosure 10 and the two portions are releasably clamped together by the band 16. The tension cord 20 is stretched across the interior through the apertures 22 and locked in place by the bolts 23. A suitable gas is applied through the valve 14 until the internal pressure is equal to the water pressure at the depth at which the container is intended to open, the tension of the cord 20 being taken into account. With the cap 15 in place, the container is positioned in the signal gun of the submarine and ejected into the surrounding water, the cord 19 being secured to the submarine.

As the sphere is ejected, the cord 19 withdraws the pin 18 permitting the holding band 17 to drop ofl? and thereafter the two portions 11 and 12 are held together by the excess of external pressure over internal pressure. As the enclosure approaches the surface of the water, the external pressure drops below the internal pressure and, when the resulting pressure difference is large enough, the clip 21 breaks and the two portions 11 and 12 are forced apart. In this manner, the signal material 13 is released into the water at the selected depth and if it is a colored dye, for example, it forms a colored mark at the surface of the water.

In another embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, and 5 the enclosure comprises an expansible bag 25 having a charge of signal material 26 sealed inside. This bag may be made of plastic or rubber, for example, and includes a valve 27 covered with a cap 28 mounted in one wall. In addition, to provide pressure sensitive actuation of the device, a rip cord 29 is attached to one inside wall of the bag and extends across the interior of the opposite wall where it is joined at a tear seam 30. Normally, the cord 29 has a length greater than the inside diameter of the bag and hangs freely in the manner shown in FIG. 2.

To permit utilization of this bag Within the submarine without expansion, a rigid housing 31 formed in two sections 32 and 33 encloses the bag and is held together by pins 34, for example. One wall of the housing has an aperture 35 to allow access to the valve 27 which is large enough to permit the valve and its cap 28 to slip through easily.

In operation, the bag 25, which is preloaded with signal material of an appropriate kind, is placed inside the housing 31 and the pins 34 are inserted to hold the two sections 32 and 33 together. Thereafter, the bag is pressurized with gas through the valve 27 to a predetermined pressure and the cap 28 is positioned on the valve to seal it. The internal pressure of the bag is selected in accordance with the expansion characteristics of the bag and the length of the cord 29 so that when the bag reaches the desired depth in the water it has expanded to the point where the cord 29 tears the seam 30.

As the housing 31 is ejected from the signal gun into the surrounding water, the pins 34 are extracted in the same manner as the pin 18 described above and the two portions 32 and 33 fall apart to release the bag 25. While the bag rises through the water, it expands as a result of the decreased external pressure until the cord 29 is held taut across the interior as shown in FIG. 3. Further expansion of the bag causes the seam 30 to rip releasing the signal material 26 into the water at the desired depth.

Although the invention has been described herein with reference to specific embodiments, many modifications and variations therein will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, all such variations and modifications are included within the intended scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for signalling from a submerged submarine comprising buoyant enclosure means capable of being pressurized to a desired internal pressure and capable of breaking open when the difference between the internal pressure in said enclosure means and the external pressure thereon exceeds a selected value, signal means within said enclosure means for producing a signal when said enclosure means is broken open, and a releasable holding means operatively associated with said enclosure means to restrain said enclosure means from breaking open before said enclosure means is ejected from the submarine.

2. A device according to claim 1 wherein said enclosure means includes internal restraining means which prevents said enclosure means from breaking open when the difference between the internal pressure and the external pressure on said enclosure means is less than said selected value.

3. A device according to claim 1 wherein said enclosure means is provided with valve means to permit the internal pressure in said enclosure means to be raised to said desired value.

4. A device according to claim 1 wherein said enclosure means comprises at least two separable rigid portions.

5. A device according to claim 4 wherein said enclosure means includes internal restraining means normally restraining said two rigid portions from separating, said restraining means comprising cord means connecting the sections internally and tension release means arranged to release said sections when the tension applied to said cord means exceeds a selected value.

6. A device according to claim 4 wherein said releasable holding means comprises an external band surrounding said separable portions and releasable clamp mean normally holding said band in place.

7. A device according to claim 1 wherein said enclosure means comprises an expandible bag, and said releasable holding means comprises a container normally enclosing said bag and capable of being opened to release said bag.

8. A device according to claim 7 including internal signal release means extending across the interior of said bag to tear said bag open when it expands beyond a predetermined volume.

9. A device according to claim 8 wherein said bag includes a tear seam formed in one wall thereof and said internal signal release means comprises a rip cord extending across the interior of said bag and attached at one end to said tear seam.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,551,037 Murphy May 1, 1951 2,671,424 Herring Mar. 9, 1954- 2,675,776 Tuve Apr. 20, 1954 

